VANCOUVER – Tim Thomas acknowledged it as recently as after his thrilling performance in the Bruins’ season-saving Game 6 victory last Monday.

The Bruins goaltender had just stopped 36 of 38 shots in the Bruins’ 5-2 win. Asked about possibly getting comfortable with a big lead, Thomas pointed out that the Bruins haven’t had the best experiences with 3-0 leads.

“Even during the regular season a couple times this year,” he quipped.

And that, folks is one of the biggest reasons the 2010-11 Bruins are now Stanley Cup champions. Except when they got sick of answering the same questions over and over throughout this season – and then when they were matched up with Philadelphia in this year’s second round and again grabbed a 3-0 series lead – the Bruins never shied away from what was one of the biggest collapses in professional sports postseason history.

Sure, about half the roster turned over from the time the Bruins finished squandering their 3-0 lead to the Flyers in the spring of 2010 until they opened this year’s postseason as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

But the core remained because general manager Peter Chiarelli and the rest of the Bruins’ brass believed in the star power they had assembled. Thomas (who was second string and, you can argue, a different player last year than this), Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg and others all carried the scars of last spring with them throughout this year. And instead of shunning the past, they embraced it.

Basically, once you’ve blown a 3-0 series lead, and become just the third team in NHL history and fourth in sports history to do so, nothing worse can happen to an athlete or a team. That was rock bottom, so all the injuries, all the questionable officiating and league-office decisions, all the travel obstacles and media overreaction to every loss or bad play couldn’t possibly sink any of the Bruins from last year’s team any lower.

Chiarelli didn’t explode the team in reaction to the collapse, and the Bruins to a man found out that practically nothing could kill them. A 2-0 lead heading on the road to Montreal? No problem. A two-goal deficit in Game 4 in Montreal? Piece of cake. A late goal by P.K. Subban in Game 7, a two-goal deficit in Game 2 in Philly, a blown three-goal lead to Tampa Bay in Game 4? Come on, those are kryptonite to mere mortals, not to survivors of the Bruins’ crash of 2010.

“Somebody said you have to learn how to lose before you learn how to win. And I think that that’s the case here,” said assistant coach Geoff Ward, proving that when he’s allowed to speak he has some sage words to offer. “You look at the group. It’s a great group of guys. They took the loss and internalized it last year to Philadelphia. I think that put us through a lot of down points this year. There’s a little bit of a different look this year. Especially when you got down 2-0 to Montreal, 2-0 here, the guys embraced it. They weren’t afraid of it. As a result we were able to get ourselves back.”

Battling the highest-scoring team in the NHL, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final could’ve been a challenge too large for even the most resilient band of Bruins. Again Boston found itself down 2-0 in a series and then the Bruins were down 3-2 as well.

That’s when the graduates of the school of 2010 hard knocks tossed up their proverbial caps and gowns and made sure redemption was the only result for the 2010-11 Bruins. Recchi, Bergeron, Chara, Conn Smythe-winner Thomas … they all spearheaded the drought-ended Cup triumph.

“We were committed,” said Recchi, who had added to the Bruins’ devotion to redemption by letting his teammates know he would end his career if they could help him win the Cup. “We play our best when our backs are against the wall and Game 6 and Game 7 showed that. We scored that first goal and it was huge.”

Even if they allowed the first goal in Game 7, it’s doubtful these Bruins would’ve been counted out. A one-goal deficit is like cutting butter with an axe for a Teflon team like the Bruins.

You can’t erase history. And that’s the point the Bruins made all season. All they could do was make new history.

Thomas doesn’t have to worry about 3-0 leads or any other things that have tarnished his or the Bruins’ recent resume. Now all anyone will ever want to talk about with his or his teammates is ending a 39-year drought.

As mg has proved, we have plenty of “inbred ignorant rednecks” right here at home.
Who brings a baseball bats, gasoline, and gas masks to a hockey game? These guys, win or lose, were in Vancouver to create havoc, the rest were just caught up in the moment. This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened whether it be college campuses or major cities.
The Bruins were destined this season, it was their time and they made the most of it. Stanley Cup Champions!!

mg,
liberals and conservatives have an equal number of idiots, just in different ways. Liberals have hippies, with their “organic” food and such (look up what makes a food organic). Conservatives have rednecks, and Sarah Palin. Who’s to say both groups aren’t idiots? I guarantee you no one asked if they were liberal or conservative, just how wasted they were.

Political persuasion has nothing to do with the riots. There were just too many drunks in one area. And too many of them were young. As a 19 year old in college, I can attest to the fact that lots of kids my age are just looking for a good time and don’t think they can get in trouble with so many others around. The same thing could have happened in Boston, except that Mumbles and the police were prepared. I’m just glad that the hockey gods awarded the cup to the proper side.

Who mentioned Sedin getting played like a punching doll? To me – that says Everything that has to be said… and I’m sorry to Vancouver fans – fans of team hockey – because it was terribly uncomfortable and sad to watch.

To address the article’s title – No one is more glad than I to put the ‘collapse’ to bed. I’ve always thought that hubbabaloo was hog-wash. Once Krecji dislocated his wrist it was over and everyone knew it. Even if the Bs did win one of those four games – they weren’t going any further. To suggest anything else is unrealistic and unfair. Collapse is simply the wrong word. Sometimes a team faces adversity that simply cannot be overcome – and that’s ok. Losing the top two centers on a team that struggled all year to score was just too much. Seidenberg, Thomas, Savard, Krecji, Sturm all lost. Looch, Ference also playing hurt. IT WAS NOT A COLLAPSE – they ran out of bodies – they were going no further!!! Thank god that is over!

Last – Just want to tip the cap to Matt. You’re amazing bro.. don’t know how you do it. Quantity with quality. You’re a rock start and you really need to know how much we all appreciate you. Great year – I can’t wait to start debating the offseason with you at the helm. Keep up the fantastic work!

Speaking of Ference, he’s another one who took his play to a whole other level in the post season. IMO, it all started in game 2 against the Habs when Z was out. He brought his skating game up a notch or two and it really paid dividends for this team in all three zones. Showed a lot of improvement in the offensive side of his game too.

First of all, I’m obviously a devastated that my team lost but could we pick a better team to lose to?

Thomas played like a robo goalie and the defense of the Bruins was absolutely rock solid. Maybe we had some injuries that hampered our abilities a bit more than Boston. For example, Edler’s broken fingers and Kesler’s torn hip flexor didn’t help our PP much…

But…at the end of the day, the Sedin’s couldn’t solve Thomas (well no one on our team could lol) and there was absolutely no doubt among Vancouver fans that had we won that game he should be the CS winner, and he was…

So let me say with as much humility as these crow feathers will let me muster…congrats Bruins and hats off to your city for a hell of a series. The better team won, nuff said.

Vanmike,
Not sure if you heard about this in Vancouver, but here in Boston, we had no team-sponsored viewing party and hundreds of police on duty during the game and afterwards in full riot gear. It’s happened here before, and the Police have figured out how to deal with it, but they almost saw their bus get tipped over anyway. 7 arrests in Boston all told, by far the most peaceful celebration of the decade. I personally stayed away from downtown with the fact riots could happen in mind, so don’t feel too bad about that. We have just learned how to put our idiots on a leash from experience.

That said, if anyone wants to see something oddly amusing and quite sad at the same time, watch CTV’s online coverage of the riots. It really just was a bunch of idiots, as the people who jumped on top of a flaming car can attest to. Wow. Glad to know they are not representative of real Vancouver fans (the ones in the arena, who showed a lot of class). I hope Vancouver recovers its order and damage quickly and can move past these idiots who started this.

Great post Matt, it really captures the feeling of this season, even better than that post where you claimed Ferrence would be leading the duckboats on his bike. (I’m looking for it!)

Glad to see some classy vanfans in here taking their crow, classy. Any smart person knows that riot was not representative of Vancouver, those jackwagons are the few not the many, and to think every city doesn’t have ignorant fucks that would pull that crap is just dumb

mg, get a grip with your liberal non sense. It has nothing to do with it.

I agree, some people just like to go out and start trouble. I don’t live in Canada, but how is the economy there? The recurring theme is that most trouble makers are in their late teens and early 20s. Do they have jobs or are they drunk college a-holes?

@mg; I started thinking about the scene where cops were shooting at people from an helicopter during Katrina’s aftermath while reading your post. What do you make of that? Boneheads will be boneheads. They’re everywhere.

Also, as always, these people are there for the riot and the riot alone. If you’re thinking the average Vancouverian took part of this, you are dead wrong. They all come from Surrey or Abbottsford. Controlling a crowd gone wild is no easy task in a civilized environment.

Bettman got what he deserved and so did the Bruins & Chara. I think Chara grew up from THE incident and that Recchi taking the pressure off him prior to MTL’s third bout had an impact on the whole team. Not to mention Lake Placid’s binding effect.

The Bruins showed the world how it’s done. They will be a strong contender next year for sure. They could become the first team to win two in a row ever since Jesus walked on shallow waters… Enjoy the party.

Sadly, lots of those folks rioting were wearing hockey jerseys. The people in the arena reacted perfectly, right down to treating Bettman like the human waste that he is.
Outside the arena though…I’m starting to question the wisdom of having 100 000 people gather to watch the game on big screens. Sure if they won it would have been very festive…but is it worth the risk?
Montreal has riots also so I’m not going to knock Vancouverites over this.

I have been in Vancouver and thought it is a beautiful city. This past week’s riot is similar to the riot in Montreal 2 years ago. The morons that start it are not hockey fans but a**holes whose only intent is to cause trouble and steal from nearby merchants.
I also thought the Vancouver fans were classy when they applauded the Bruins after they won…but nothing beats the heckling that rat-fink Bettman got.
26 and a half hours till party time!

I thought Vancouver surrendered at the end of game six when Marchand played patty-cake with Sedin’s face. Although I like Marchand, I thought it was totally out of line. However, two things stood out. 1) I was astonished that a professional hockey player would let someone do that to him. I still don’t understand it. In my opinion Sedin should have dropped his gloves and punched Marchand in the mouth. 2) Where was the support from his team mates? Can you imagine the Bruins allowing that to happen to a team mate? I find the incident to be totally bizarre.

Canucks fans were great to the Bruins when they won the cup. You couldn’t have asked for a better response, real classy. And the merciless loud booing of Bettman also gets my approval. Keep your sweaty hands off the cup, you didn’t win it.

Agreed, I re-watched that game last night and really appreciated the ovation after the game–not only for their own team, but especially for Thomas as well. It’s a shame the idiots took over on the streets and made the city look bad.

Great article Matt. What a feeling this year. Watching the game and post-game over last night was just as good as the night before. I will never get tired of the pure joy Chara shows when he hoists the cup. Instantly one of my favorite sports moments, especially with the other memory burned in my mind–him trying to explain away that Philly loss last year.

The response given to the Bruins by the Canucks fans in attendance at game 7 was awesome. Infinitely classy. Watching Bettman get booed was hilarious too. It’s nice that after such an intense series, the end result is a mutual love and respect for the game and the cup.

Ok boys! Never let it be said that Vanmike doesn’t take his lumps. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been beaking off pretty good here and now it’s time to eat a little crow. Boston was clearly the better team. Period. They played through adversity and played with grit and toughness and showed they had the skill when they needed it. TT was a worthy Conn Smythe winner. Furthermore, Van fans showed that we have more than our fair share of inbred rednecks. Hopefully watching us burn our city to the ground didn’t detract from your party to much. That said, I think even Boston fans would have been proud of the reception given the illustrious Gary Bettman. Enjoy your celebration this summer. See you next years final.